1. Field of the Invention
A livestock trailer providing a dual level livestock loading entrance with a first loading area at a level for loading and unloading livestock or other animals at a dock height and a built-in chute within a second loading area at a level for ground loading and unloading livestock at or near ground level, the trailer further providing a ramp in the recessed floor of the second loading area, the ramp being adjustable at a front end to be extended as a ramp during loading or unloading or collapsed into a relatively compact vertical position providing for additional storage in the second loading area whether extended or collapsed, the extended position forming a transitional ramp between the principle trailer floor and the recessed floor of the second loading area.
2. Description of Prior Art
A preliminary review of prior art patents was conducted by the applicant which reveal prior art patents in a similar field or having similar use. However, the prior art inventions do not disclose the same or similar elements as the present dual loading entrances or the retractable ramp located in the recessed floor of the second loading area, nor do they present the material components in a manner contemplated or anticipated in the prior art.
Extendable end ramps for unloading trailers and livestock transport vehicles indicate uses for loading and unloading livestock and to provide a transition from the elevated floor of the trailer deck to the ground. These devices either raise and lower from a horizontal transport position to the ground, as found in U.S. Pat. No. 2,822,940 to Kopaska, and more recently in U.S. Pat. No. 7,152,726 to Stotts, or pivot from an upright transport position to a lowered ramp position, as found in U.S. Pat. No. 6,439,825 and U.S. Pat. No. 3,442,550 to Esbeck. Yet other slide into a compartment below the bed of the truck, as in U.S. Pat. No. 4,439,087 to Schink and is also readily found in most rental moving vans.
As to livestock trailers, these are most commonly observe as depicted in the Stotts patent, for use in stock pen loading, where livestock trailers are back up to a loading ramp from a corral or pen, walked up a stationary ramp, and loaded into the trailer for transport. Stotts identifies his disclosed subject matter as a ramp which extends from the rear of the stock loading livestock trailer and allows the livestock to unloaded from the extended ramp which is attached to the rear of the trailer, but not made an integral part of the trailer.
The present dual loading stock trailer provides a livestock trailer with two integrated fixed rear end sections, one identified as a first loading area to load and unload livestock from a stock pin ramp, and a second loading area for ground loading of livestock. The ramp loaded trailers are called “pot load trailers” in the Stotts patent (Column 1, lines 13 to 23). These trailers commonly have a deck height of approximately 48 inches from the ground. The ground loading type trailers provide a means to load cattle into a livestock trailer from the ground, having a deck height of between 12 and 19 inches. These ground loading trailers are identified and referenced within the Stotts patent under “Other Publications” on the abstract page as the “McElroy Groundload Livestock Trailers”, date unknown, internet download 2003, manufactured and sold by this present inventor, John McElroy, several years ago.
The second loading area of the dual loading stock trailer also provides an internal extendable ramp, which provides a compacted stored position in which the ramp folds into a vertical section and horizontal section and an extended ramp position in which the vertical section and horizontal section are extended into a transitional platform, giving livestock a means to travel from the deck height of the trailer to the ground level loading height. The means to collapse and extend the ramp may be provided by hydraulics, compressed air or a mechanical means.